What would you do with two identical new SR's?

[rbscebu]

I hope to be soon receiving two identical SR's, ordered last February. These two razors will be "excess" to my normal requirements.

I thought that it might be good to use these two razors to experiment on. What type of experimentation would you suggest?

 

[Tomo]

Natural finishing stone vs synthetic

 

[rbscebu]

Natural finishing stone vs synthetic

No, because I finish on diamond pasted balsa strops. Not interested in finishing on stone or synthetic.

I have used both natural and synthetic for finishing before. Diamond pasted balsa gives me my preferred finish.

 

[Polarbeard]

Try Sending one of them to a lonely bear living in a very cold, dark and desolate place about as far away from civilisation as you can get. This just to check how long it'll take before it gets there during the present circumstances. Besides this the poor bear's one and only and razor just got so rusty that the dust flakes are falling like dandruff when he tries to shave with it.

Then again you could just do some experimenting in it like trying out different honing techniques.

 

[rbscebu]

....
Then again you could just do some experimenting in it like trying out different honing techniques.

Yes, that's what I was thinking. One idea I had was to see if a blade improves more if used between diamond pasted balsa stropping or not used, with the same amount of diamond pasted balsa stropping.

 

[Tomo]

No, because I finish on diamond pasted balsa strops. Not interested in finishing on stone or synthetic.

I have used both natural and synthetic for finishing before. Diamond pasted balsa gives me my preferred finish.

Diamond paste is synthetic, no?

 

[Peppery John]

People are still interested in stones and then finishing on a pasted balsa strip. It's not all about
lapping film.

 

[Seveneighth]

No, because I finish on diamond pasted balsa strops. Not interested in finishing on stone or synthetic.

I have used both natural and synthetic for finishing before. Diamond pasted balsa gives me my preferred finish.

Don't dismiss the suggestion. The diamond pasted balsa provides a known sharpness and feel. I am currently testing three identical razors.

Razor 1: maintained on pasted balsa
Razor 2: trans ark
Razor 3: Vintage Yellow lake

Razor 1 is the control. I am trying to get the other two razors as close in feel using the stones. It's pushing my finishing game considerably.

 

[lloydw]

I would use them to try variations in honing - whether that be progressions, naturals or varied naguras

if you only use balsa - what about trying various compounds?

 

[camoloc]

Don't dismiss the suggestion. The diamond pasted balsa provides a known sharpness and feel. I am currently testing three identical razors.

Razor 1: maintained on pasted balsa
Razor 2: trans ark
Razor 3: Vintage Yellow lake

Razor 1 is the control. I am trying to get the other two razors as close in feel using the stones. It's pushing my finishing game considerably.

good science going in there.

camo

 

[RayClem]

I like having identical razor for experimentation. For straight razors, I use a couple of Gold Dollars. For DE razors, I use an EJ DE89 and a Muhle R89 with identical heads. That is an idea situation for testing/comparison.

I know you like using pasted strops. You can always compare different stropping methods: particle size, lapping pressure, number of laps and then shave the two sides of your face with razors honed the same way, but stropped differently.

I use CBN pasted strops rather than diamond pasted strops. When I first purchased 0.1 micron CBN, I doubted that it would make much of an improvement over 0.25 micron CBN. Yet when I did the face off with identical straight razors, I could tell a difference and preferred the finer abrasive every time.

 

[thombrogan]

Diamonds and stones! That is, a diamond-bladed saw and sedimentary stones found on beaches.

Find a large-enough rock on the beach closest to Cebu City and one on the beach closest to Lapu Lapu City. Have them rough cut to a preferred hone size. Lap one side of each flat.

Next, hone your razors as normal. Keep one going with the 0.1 micron diamond as usual and go to your stones and a leather or unpasted balsa strop for the other one. Maybe 10-20 shaves with the Cebu City stone; reset your normal way; then 10-20 shaves with your Lapu Lapu City stone.

Post findings online. Watch as people forget JNats, coticules, and Welsh slate are a thing. Feel guilt as tourist industry switches over from lovers of cultural treasures and gorgeous beaches to rockhounds bent on making money off straight razor enthusiasts and fans of Japanese cutlery. Feel no surprise as market switches to stones from Kerguelen three years later.

 

[Basil]

Different edges are always a good experiment. Or you get 5 more and have a 7 day set.

 

[steveclarkus]

I have two 5/8 Bismarck’s that appear identical. I’m just going to shave with them. Never let a Bismarck go.

 

[Toro Blanco]

Try CBN vs diamond in the same grit level. I remember in 2016 I met Ken Swarts looking for my first jnat. I did not buy a jnat but he did let me try out some diamond and CBN. He said it was just as fine and irritation was less. I will admit I was skeptical but he was right. Very keen but more comfortable and just as fast. It opened my eyes to a bigger picture. Keen vs comfort is very real thing. Now I understand why so many honers with years of experience choose natural stones. It's the middle ground of very keen and very comfortable. Kind of a best of both worlds. Not all stones can do it and some are harder to learn on so people get put off and give in to a more simple technique.